Music lessons at school

[CutiePatooties]

Hi, I’m after some advice please:

DD’s school have offered music lessons and DD has shown an interest in learning the drums. She appears excited by the idea of doing this, so I enrolled her onto the lessons. However, they’re running for 30 minutes every Wednesday, during times when she should be doing her English or maths lessons.

I feel like she shouldn’t be missing time spent on these core subjects, but equally, feel like learning an instrument, being a part of the school band and playing at concerts, would be good for her. She’ll have a hobby/interest, will be working as a team, have a creative outlet, will learn something new and this will probably help improve her confidence. I just don’t know what to do.

I’ve looked at lessons outside of school but they cost more money (that I don’t have).

All of ours have always been in the afternoon which isn’t as bad. I’ll be honest, it’s a bit of a pain when children leave for music lessons during a lesson as they often miss the teaching bit and get back just an everyone’s starting the task! Also, it is often is the same lesson and time each week. How is she doing in the lessons? If she’s not struggling then I’d do it. I do agree that learning an instrument is a valuable skill.

Unless she is particularly struggling in English or maths I'd jump at the lessons - learning an instrument is great for their brains as well as having the creative outlet and growing all those skills. Teachers are fairly used to dealing with that sort of thing I think.

At our school music lessons are shuffled so that they occur at different times each week, meaning dc aren’t missing the same lesson every week. Sometimes they have extra homework because they need to complete an activity at home that the rest of the class did while they were having their lesson. I don’t find they miss much, but it does require some extra support at home sometimes - something you will have to commit to anyways with an instrument, as daily practice is critical for progression.

Learning an instrument is hugely valuable, though, and I would definitely go for lessons in school rather than after. We actually pay slightly more for them in school than we would out, but in addition to the convenience of not having to ferry them about Ithink they get more from the lesson because they aren’t tired. The in school lessons also feed directly into other opportunities like lunchtime orchestra club, so not just learning an instrument in isolation.

Mine has three music lessons at school a week - all of 30 mins. It doesn’t appear to impact them. Bit maybe they’d be in Mensa if they didn’t have music lessons!

She’s expected for maths and writing and above expected for English skills, spelling and reading.

I’m wondering whether she’ll drop below expected in maths and writing if she has time taken away from these subjects each week. It’s hard to weigh up whether 30 minutes a week is a lot to lose - she does TTRS, numbots, spelling shed, arithmetic exercises and reading every weekday after school, but I can’t really help her improve her writing at home and I suppose this is what I’m most concerned about. She was key marginal for writing in year 1, got up to expected in year 2 and now she’s in year 3 I don’t want her to slip again.